Arranged WHAT
by YumeSatsujin
Summary: Arranged Marriages Oh my let's see what kind of mischief the Naruto characters can get into in the story of Arranged WHAT
1. Chapter 1

Prologue:

"Ao" a voice calls and the Hunter nin looks up to see Chojuro standing there "Yes" the older male asks "Lady Mizukage has asked for you she said that it was important" Chojuro speaks quickly having delivered his message he in all the subtleness of his age flee's as quickly as he can under Ao's piercing gray eyes.

'Mmph the youth these days' Ao snarks to himself on the way to see the Mizukage quietly wondering why she had called him to her office so late in the day arriving he knocks announcing his presense before entering the office to stand before Mei Terumi the 5th Mizukage.

"Ao there's a reason I called you here and you must be confused by know seeing as it's pretty late" Mei starts off rolling words around in her thoughts trying to find the best way to tell her most trusted advisor and longest friend "Yes M'lady" Ao stands straighter feeling that whatever his Kage was trying to say would affect him in some way or another.

How great it would affect him is what he didn't understand that was until Mei decides that she would just come outright and tell him "I want to create a political alliance with the Hidden Leaf Village" she sighs out and Ao's eyebrows raise into his hairline 'Now this is something not even I would've suspected' he thinks to himself.

-A few days later-

After Mei had practically ordered him to go too the Leaf Village and scope out the girls Ao had bitterly not that he would show it to Mei 'that woman is scary' he shudders softly to himself, accepted to go and find a girl to marry for the alliance that Mei wanted to create between the two villages.

Arriving in the village days later he's led to the Hokage's office who had recieved word via carrier pidgeon hours before his arrival to begin his search of the village girls for the one he would choose to marry with because afterall it had to be someone that he could tolerate in the long run.

"So your Ao then" Tsunade stares at him her honey brown eyes hardened as she gazes over the man that had come from Mist to marry one of her shinobi "Yes M'lady" Ao straightens before this new Kage deciding that it would be better for him if he remained polite at all times in her presense.

Sighing Tsunade realizes that he was about as stiff as most of her own shinobi "Shall we get started then" she asks wanting to get this over with as soon as possible so that she could drink her sake in peace Ao nods taking the chair in front of her desk and waits patiently folding his arms as he looks about the office taking it all in.

Pulling a folder out from one of her drawers she sets it down in front of him perhaps a little to roughly when it startles him somewhat "Here are all the girls that would be best suited to this type of thing" she answers when Ao looks at her questioningly.

Opening the folder he peruses the selected women raising an eyebrow at the girl with pink hair before closing the folder after going threw it for several minutes "Well" Tsunade snaps softly when all he does is remain silent "I'd like to meet with each girl to get a better idea of who I'd like to select" Ao bows his head in askance.

"I suppose that might be a better idea this way you can get a general idea of each girls _unique _personalities" Tsunade taps her lips with a finger before standing and calling out for Shizune who also happened to be on the list waiting for her black-haired attendant to arrive Tsunade sit's back down.

"You called M'lady" Shizune slides into the office panting slightly from rushing to Tsunade "Yes Shizune I'd like you to show our guest here around the village take him to visit Sakura and the others" Tsunade stresses out lightly hoping that her underlined message would get through to her attendant.

Getting the hint that this was the guy from Mist who had come to choose someone to marry Shizune puts a smile on her face before gesturing "Welcome to the Hidden Leaf Village I'm Shizune" she holds out her hand for him to take.

Taking it with interest Ao raises her hand to his lips placing a small kiss on the back of it before letting it fall back to Shizune's side who by now had a small blush on her cheeks because of Ao's actions.

Clearing her throat willing the blush on her cheeks to disappear Shizune turns gesturing for Ao to follow her and leads him out the door and into the streets of the Leaf Village the first on her stop was to visit Tenten seeing as she actually had business with the girl Shizune decides to introduce Ao to Tenten first.

Concentrating slightly Shizune locates the younger girls chakra just a few streets ahead of them predictably at a new weapons shop that had opened up a week or so prior with her destination in mind she leads the way with a determined look oblivious of Ao's look of uninterest.

'How boring could someone be' Ao grimaces to himself as he allows the slightly younger woman to lead him around the village sighing Ao crosses Shizune off the list hoping that the next girl would be slightly more interesting and not a total bore like the one who was standing next to him.

To his surprise it's the girl with brown hair pulled up into buns on either side of her head "Tenten" Shizune calls out drawing the girls attention onto themselves "Oh Shizune I was just on my way to see you" Tenten drawls out trying but failing to glance at him subtly and with a small smirk introduces himself.

"I'm Ao" he bows his head to the younger girl before stating his reason as to why he was in the village "I'm here on some business" he stands straighter waiting for her reaction "Oh is that so" Tenten smiles nervously before turning towards Shizune.

"Well um was there something you needed Lady Shizune" Tenten asks decidely flustered by the older mans steely gray eyed gaze "Ah yes that book I lent you I'm going to need it back" Shizune fumbles under the mans gaze un-nerved by how he kept staring.

Groaning at the idiocy of the two females before him Ao is decidely bored of this already and wished that they would move along to this time a hopefully more interesting female Tenten hearing the soft groan shifts her gaze onto Ao and notices the extremely bored look on his face and subtly nudges Shizune.

Jumping at the jab to her side Shizune turns around realizing that she had once again gotten lost in her thoughts and stares at Ao finally realizing that he was looking bored and sighs to herself knowing that neither she or Tenten had captured his attention.

"Well see you later" Shizune waves leading Ao through the village with a frown on her face not sure if he would talk to her after that embarrassing display but decides to speak up anyway "Um I'm sorry about..._that..._" she trails off realizing that Ao wasn't even paying attention to her at all.

'I guess I can't really blame the guy I've been an absolute bore so far' Shizune sighs to herself before quite literally running into Ino, noticing the new girl Ao stares at her noticing this Ino smiles flirtatiously "Hi I'm Ino Yamanaka and who are you" Ino leans forward smiling sweetly at Ao.

"Ao" he introduces himself already feeling agitated with his mission seeing as how all the women of the Leaf seem to 'boring imbeciles' but perks up slightly at the interest shown from this new girl 'Ino she said her name was hmmm' Ao decides that he would see how long she holds his interest.

Gesturing to Shizune that he wanted her to walk with them Ao stands there patiently noticing the pointed gaze Shizune asks Ino to join them on their journey through the village "Sure I don't see why not" Ino grins blue eyes shining with interest at the new male and happily skips to his side barely holding herself back.

"So Ao it's obvious that your not from around here" Ino states casually keeping pace with him with little effort "Your right I'm from the Mist village and I'm here on official business" he repeats the line waiting for her reaction to his words "Oh so if your on business then why are you here wandering the village" Ino asks brows furrowed in confusion.

Lowering his gaze onto the blonde haired girl "Because I'm looking for someone to marry" Ao states as casually as he can hearing Ino gasp in surprise he stops and looks at her hoping that she wouldn't run away "I'm sorry um I guess Lady Tsunade didn't know this but I'm engaged" Ino whispers softly turning away from him.

"I see thank you for your time then" Ao frowns realizing that he had only 4 girls left to meet and so far only one of them had managed to capture his interest for a short period of time quickly moving away from Ino Ao speeds ahead wondering how much longer it would be before he could sleep.

"Wait Ao" Shizune calls out stopping him in his tracks and he looks back to see another girl 'The Hyuga girl if I remember correctly' he states to himself wondering how long it would take her to realize that he also held a byakugan in one of his eyes.

"Hinata this is Ao" Shizune takes over introducing the two because of Hinata's shyness to others 'well everyone in generally' Shizune thinks to herself, waving shyly Hinata looks down stuttering out a soft greeting "H..h...hi" Ao instantly decides that he wouldn't be getting anywhere with such a mild-mannered woman.

Shaking his head Shizune gets the hint "That's enough Hinata I'll see you around" she grins putting the younger girl at ease before leading Ao away from the girl and to another part of the village "Sorry about that she gets like that around everybody" Shizune apologizes to Ao before falling silent realizing once again that he wasn't paying her any attention.

Hearing loud laughter ahead of him Ao snaps out of his thoughts and see's a purple-haired woman cackling madly at some poor civilian cringing at the creepy woman Ao instantly crosses her off the list 'Just seeing her is enough' he shudders cringing when the woman cackles louder.

Seeing the cringe Shizune steers Ao around Anko looking for Yugao hoping that she wouldn't be able to catch his attention finally finding her she grins victoriously upon finding her 'Kami' Ao clenches his eyes shut feeling a headache forming behind his eyes opening them slightly he quickly shuts them again seeing something he would have rather not seen.

Sighing as Shizune finds Yugao and Genma together and they weren't just sitting there either they were heavily kissing each other and leads Ao away from the couple and to the last girl on the list Sakura Haruno.

Feeling oddly exhausted Shizune awkwardly searches for Sakura's chakra and finds her thankfully not to far from her and Ao walking fast she leads Ao towards her wanting this day to be over so that she could nap in her office for awhile "Hey Sakura" she greets turning tired eyes on her little sister as she liked to call her sometimes.

"Hi Shizune" Sakura greets before turning to the mysterious man holding out her hand with a grin on her lips she introduces herself "Sakura Haruno apprentice of the 5th Hokage and you are?" she asks in a playful voice already knowing what he was after but knowing that it was for the benefit of the two villages if this allaince was created.

"Ao and it's a pleasure to meet you Sakura" Ao is pleasantly surprised by this pink-haired girl he liked the fact that she was playful enough to tease him but not act like a harlot at the same time 'Obviously this girl was raised with manners' Ao muses to himself before letting a smile grace his lips liking the blush that spreads across the younger girls cheeks.

"That blush becomes you Sakura" he teases her back and watches with interest as the blush reddens before disappearing all together 'Ah so she has some fight in her' Ao once again thinks to himself before opening his mouth and inviting her to walk with them to her destination.

"I'd love the company" Sakura answers feeling confident to walk next him after a few minutes she asks a question "So Ao has any one managed to capture your interest" she asks a playful smile on her lips and Ao nods "As a matter of fact someone has" he answers as best he can not wanting to let it slip who exactly he was interested in.

'Oh I bet it's someone like Tenten' Sakura feels her confidence drop thinking to herself that she wasn't really pretty not like the other girls in her age group and falls into a light depression, seeing Sakura's good mood fall Shizune wonders what Ao would do to cheer Sakura up as this is the most he had talked all day.

Ao also seeing the change of moods in Sakura wonders what could have happened to make her depressed like she now was stopping he turns towards the girl "Sakura, are you alright" he asks though it was clear in the way he was looking aroud that he was unused to feeling concern for another person.

'HEY Dummy Mister Handsome is asking you a question' Inner appears jerking Sakura out of her thoughts and she quickly nods her head "Yes I'm fine, thank you for asking" she smiles as best she can not wanting to worry her new friend "If your sure Sakura" Ao prods further hoping that she would tell him but somehow knowing that she wouldn't.

"Positive Ao" she breathes out breathlessly suddenly realizing just now how close he actually was to her and flushes a bright red in that moment she trips over her own two feet and slams into a shinobi that didn't know her scrambling up off the man Sakura groans at her own clumsiness and go's about apologizing to the guy.

"Hey I'm sorry I didn't see you there" she apologizes holding out her hand to help him up but when all the guy does is give her an icy glare and slap her hand away Sakura feels her temper rise in anger at the insolence of the man "Maybe next time you should watch where your going you stupid girl" the man snarls stalking past her.

Freezing Sakura becomes angry at the man's vile words and decides that she'd teach him a lesson in manners and storms forward catching the man by the arm and swinging him around and with her fist slams it right into his face instantly breaking his nose "Next time you should be courteous to those who help you" she snaps still furious.

Ao had seen all this and had decided that he was going to step in but Sakura had beat him to it and again he was surprised he liked a woman who could defend herself if need be and with that his decision was made walking Sakura the rest of the way to her destination making small talk along the way he lets Shizune lead him back to the Hokage's office.

Standing before the Hokage for the 2nd time that day Ao is decidely more interested this time around curious as to what else Tsunade had taught Sakura he's snapped out of his thoughts Tsunade asks "Well have you decided or do you need a few more days to make your decision.

"No, I've decided" Ao pauses wondering what her reaction to his answer and selection would be "Yes who have you decided on then" Tsunade asks wondering who could have captured his interest in just one day of meeting "Ah I've selected Sakura Haruno as the person I wish to marry" Ao answers and Tsunade is stunned into silence.


	2. Chapter 2

"Of all the girls you can choose it just has to be Sakura" Tsunade asks in disbelief wondering what her little apprentice had done to draw this man's attention so thoroughly in just one day of meeting each other "I'll have no other" Ao answers in determination and Tsunade rolls her eyes at the show of stubborness.

"Very well but I should warn you that the courting itself won't be easy" Tsunade smirks softly and Ao wonders what she means curious he asks bowing his head politely before he does so "Why do you say that M'lady" he stands straight once more "Because Sakura has confidence issues" Tsunade answers easily.

Remembering earlier when Sakura had fallen into a light depression Ao shows surprise as he just now realizes he was the cause of it and grimaces slightly 'Well that is a minor setback but I think I can manage to boost her confidence' Ao vows to himself before facing Tsunade once more.

"I think I'll manage M'lady" Ao responds waiting for his dismissal and Tsunade seeing this waves him away and Ao exits the room heading to the Hotel that had been set up for him upon his arrival though this was the first time he had gone to it that day seeing as he had no personal effects with him.

Stepping into the room Ao is surprised at how lavish it is and sighs at the ridiculousness of it all running his hand across his face he decides to just deal with everything the next day and lays down on the bed thinking of the days events before finally falling into a light sleep unaware of the brewing danger.

-The Next Morning-

Upon awakening the first thing Ao does is said a letter to his Kage too let her know that he had made his selection and that he would be staying in the village to begin the courtship and that sometime within the next 3-4 months he would bring her to the Hidden Mist Village for her approval.

_"Lady Mizukage I've found a girl to marry for the politcal alliance as you have asked and as of today I will begin the courtship according to Lady Hokage Sakura Haruno has confidence issues and that will be the first thing I work on before doing any more._

_"Hope all is well in Hidden Mist,_

_Ao."_

With his message sent he quickly locates Sakura's chakra and heads in her direction already knowing that she was headed in the direction of the hospital to begin her rounds appearing before her he bows "Good Morning Sakura" Ao greets startling her out of her thoughts "Oh good morning Ao" Sakura smiles softly.

'What could he want so early in the morning' Inner pipes up curious at the older males sudden appearance 'maybe he wants to know more about the person he's selected and he figured I might be his best chance at winning her approval' Sakura supplies suddenly feeling rather depressed.

Sensing the sudden shift in Sakura Ao bows and takes her hand kissing her knuckles like a true gentleman should before asking if he could accompany her as she made her way to the hospital startled at the gesture Sakura stutters out a soft breathy yes, after a few minutes of complete silence Ao decides to speak.

"Did you sleep well Sakura" he asks politely and she nods "I did thank you" she gives him a soft smile and he suddenly wonders who would be cruel enough to lower this beautiful girl's self-confidence so much that she gets depressed by even thinking she wasn't good enough for anyone.

'Well I'll just have to change that starting now' Ao once again vows to himself "What do you have planned for the day" he asks genuinely curious "Ah well see I work shifts at the hospital" Sakura answers quickly as they near her destination "Oh have you been working here long" he asks giving her a piercing stare.

"About 7 and a half years" she responds nonchalantly hiding her surprise well as he opens the door for her "Ah that means you were 13 when you started apprenticing underneath Lady Tsunade" he whispers to her not wanting the eavesdropping nurses to over hear their private conversation.

"Yes" she shrugs as if it was no big deal lowering her voice to a whisper as well before turning to head completely into the building but she pauses and turns back to him briefly "And Ao thank you for well you know" she blushes her cheeks reddening causing Ao to smile at her in slight amusement before letting the door swing shut.

'Now to bid my time' he thinks situating himself across the street on one of the benches waiting for lunch to roll around so that he could order her lunch seeing as she hadn't brought anything with her 'Yes that would be the perfect way to make her see that I am interested in no one else but her' Ao finishes ignoring the curious stares of people around him.

Finally after 3 hours Ao stands stretching slightly before heading in the direction of a food stand picking out the best and paying for it he puts it in the bento he had bought earlier that morning and determined heads straight for the hospital entering the building he walks up to the nurses that were littering around and asks them where Sakura is.

"Oh that girl she's up in her office doing paperwork never takes a break work's herself to the bone it's no wonder no man is interested in her all she cares about is work, work and more work" the woman says snidely before pointing him in the direction scowling at the woman as he turns from her he heads towards Sakura's office.

Knocking softly on the door he waits for permission to enter "Who is it" her soft voice calls from with in "It's Ao" he responds calling a bit louder than he had hoped and after a few seconds the door swings open "Ao what are you doing here" she asks obviously flustered by his sudden appearance.

"Well I seem to recall not seeing you carrying a bento for lunch so I thought I'd bring you some" he answers nonchalantly pushing the bento into her hands and leaning on the door frame waiting for her reaction a few seconds pass and it finallly clicks in her mind "You bought me lunch" she whispers.

"Yes" he answers staring at her incredulously "Thank you Ao no one has ever done that before" she thanks him feeling slightly overwhelmed and so not to ruin the lunch she sets it on her desk before cautiously wrapping her arms around his waist and hugs Ao quickly before pulling back just as quickly turning from him bright red with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry" she smiles sheepishly her cheeks still burning from the blush and Ao shrugs nonchalantly "It's nothing to worry about, oh and Sakura your welcome" he again picks her hand up kissing her knuckles before stalking out of her office passing the nurse he had talked to and out of the hospital with a sneer in her direction.

'Wow Sakura' Inner speaks up cautiously feeling her Outer's dilema 'Do you think he could really be interested in me or is he playing with me' Sakura asks her Inner softly almost afraid of her answer 'You know what I think Sakura' Inner pauses for a moment and Sakura's breath catches in her throat dreading the answer now.

'I think he's genuinely interested in you Sakura, I mean why else would he go through the lengths to not only walks us to the hospital hold the door open for us, ask us how we slept and then to come in here with lunch for us I think that just screams he's desperate for our approval' Inner answers finally and Sakura breathes a sigh of relief.

'So what do you think I should do then Inner' Sakura asks 'Well that's up to you honey but remember this is for a political alliance and I think it would be wise to develop your relationship so it's not just a forced thing between two villages' Inner answers sounding only wise which only happens like once in great ok great great while.

'Hey Sakura are you going to eat your lunch Ao brought' Inner smirks snapping Sakura out of her thoughts and she stares at the purple clothed box with a small manner of fondness before slowly unwrapping it only to stare at all the fruits and vegetables that had been put in it and cut in such a way she could eat them easily with the pair of chopsticks.

'Oh my god' Sakura breathes out slowly nearly fainting before slowly eating the lunch and continuing on with her work soon enough it's nearing the end of her shift and as she stands a knock on her door alerts her to a visitor "Come in" she responds recognizing the chakra signature as Ao.

"May I walk you home" he asks her and before she can stop her self she nods enthusiastically "Yes I would like that very much" Sakura answers before smiling sheepishly holding out his arm for her Ao waits for her to take it and she does so he see's her out of the hospital and all the way to her house across town.

Stopping in front of her door Sakura hesitates 'Should I invite him in for dinner' she ponders before suddenly a confidence she hadn't felt for some time fills her and asks with out thinking "Would you like to come in for dinner Ao my treat for bringing me lunch" she blushes feeling like a little kid asking her crush out again.

Eyeing her Ao thinks for a moment before responding with a soft nod "I would thank you" he leads her into her house pausing briefly to let her put her bag down before leading her into the kitchen "Ao make yourself comfortable I'll bring you some tea in a minute is that alright or would you like something else" Sakura rambles nervous.

Smiling to ease her nerves Ao goes with her suggestion "Tea is just fine Sakura" he answers before moving out of the kitchen and into the living room where big comfortable looking couches sit and he wonders how many people she has over every day shaking his head he suddenly realizes he doesn't want to know.

A few minutes after he sits down a sweet aroma fills the air and Sakura appears carrying a tray with two teacups setting it before him Sakura fidgets nervously unused to this much attention from the opposite sex Ao's voice breaks through her erratic thoughts "May I" he asks politely and she nods.

"Please have some it's fresh" Sakura clears her throat hoping to seem at least calm to her guest suddenly one of the tea cups is gently pushed into her hands and the smell of chamomile fills her senses she instantly relaxes and Ao pats himself on the back for easing her nerves if only just a bit.

"Sakura how was your day at the hospital" Ao asks hoping that simple conversation would get her to open up to him "Oh it was great" she breathes taking a small sip of the hot liquid before continuing "I mean I love my work you know it's the only thing I'm good at and no one can say I didn't work hard for it" she rambles.

Ao smiles at hearing how much Sakura adored her work at the hospital before cutting off her rambling "You know the hospital in Mist would greatly benefit from having you at it's head" he compliments in a gentle way to boost her confidence but also in a way that's letting her know he was genuine about her as well.

'Awe listen to him Sakura he's really trying to appeal to us' Inner giggles dreamily causing Sakura to blush deeply at both their words "Thank you Ao for saying that" she smiles sweetly at him and Ao knows instantly that he had said the right thing "Oh I'm sorry I promised you dinner" Sakura jumps up suddenly nervous once more.

"If it's alright with you may I help" Ao offers seeing that she would possibly hurt herself if left to her own device "Oh it's ok" she whispers softly before dashing into the kitchen breathing heavily Sakura forces herself to calm down before allowing a look of determination to cross her face.

'I'll show him that I can cook' Sakura grins to herself knowing that Ao wouldn't know what hit him 'Ok first I'll start with this' mentally preparing the list Sakura begins boiling a pot of water cutting ingredients perfectly and adding seasoning and everything else that was needed into the stir fry.

-30 minutes later-

A thoroughly exhausted Sakura comes out of the kitchen the smell of delicious food following along behind her approaching Ao Sakura realizes he has dosed off in the chair waiting for dinner to be finished and she gently shakes his shoulder as not to startle him "Ao dinner is ready" she whispers softly.

Waking Ao curses himself for falling asleep in her presence and turns to her apologetic "I'm terribly sorry Sakura-chan" he adds the suffix to let her know how serious he is "I didn't mean to fall asleep" he finishes hoping that she wasn't to angry with him Ao looks up when a small giggle escapes from between her plump pink lips.

"Ao it's alright I'm not angry if anything it goes to show how comfortable you are in my presence" Sakura waves his concerns off and with a bright smile directed at him she pulls him up out of the chair and into the kitchen where his plate was already sitting steam still coming off it and another full cup of tea.

Sitting down Sakura watches his expression carefully hoping that he liked it she fidgets nervously when he takes a bite his eyes widening slightly but noticable enough before and Sakura closes her eyes not wishing to see him throw the food away when the scraping of silverware on a plate catches her ears and she opens her eyes slowly.

There he was eating it with more manners than her teammates had but still looking as if he had just tasted the best food he had ever eaten "How is it Ao" she asks interrupting him momentarily and he glances at her with a soft smile "It's delicious" he remarks before returning to eating.

Sighing in relief Sakura digs into her own food proud that her future husband liked her cooking soon enough the plates are cleared away and the tea cups are refilled as Sakura digs out her special dessert and places a piece on a new plate for him hoping that he'd like it just as much as her cooking.

Sitting back down she watches once more as he takes a bite of the sweet this time steeling herself she forces herself to keep her eyes open when he takes another bite another sigh escapes her before eating her own and soon everything was eaten and cleaned up thanks to Ao offering to help with dishes.

"Thank you for dinner Sakura I'll see you in the morning" Ao bows before taking her hand gently in his own raising it to his lips he kisses her knuckles before letting her hand drop back down to her side before dissappearing into the night leaving behind a blushing Sakura who was leaning heavily against her doorframe.

Several moments after Ao had gone she pushes herself off the frame shutting her door Sakura whispers to herself "What a man" giggling she gets ready for bed wondering what the next few months would bring her and if she'd be this happy in the Village Hidden in the Mist as Ao's bride "This might not be as bad a situation as I thought" she whispers before falling into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Upon waking up Sakura realizes two things: one is she has a high fever and two she was late for her shift at the hospital "Ugh" she groans forcefully pulling herself out of her soft fluffy bed and into her bathroom halfway through her morning ritual a loud knock alerts her ears and Sakura spits out her toothpaste to answer "I'll be out in a minute" she huffs heavily when the knockig continues.

Storming over to her door still in her pajamas Sakura opens the door roughly and glares at the person who had decided to interrupt her "Sasuke what brings you here" she growls when all the boy does is smirk cockily at her "We are going on a date" Sasuke answers smugly further irritating Sakura and she slams her door shut in his face determined to ignore him even if it killed her.

As for Sasuke he was still standing outside of Sakura's apartment shocked that she would do such a thing to him and raises his hand to knock again but is stopped when a tall male grasps his wrist tightly "I wouldn't do that boy" Ao responds calmly even though Sasuke was glaring at him "Who the hell do you think you are" Sasuke yells angry that he had been stopped "Sakura's fiance" Ao answers simply.

Growing angrier by the minute Sasuke allows his sharingan to blaze to life and without warning lunges at Ao preparing to attack him unfortanately Ao had forseen this and subtly dodges Sasuke's attempt with a jab to his arm rendering it useless for the moment "Now boy are you going to leave peacefully or do you want more" Ao taunts calmly and Sasuke's fury rises.

"You have no right to claim her she was mine first" Sasuke snarls unaware that Sakura had opened the door and had seen the whole thing "So I'm a possesion now huh Sasuke" Sakura remains calm on the outside but inside her anger was at it's boiling point "No Sakura that's not what I meant" Sasuke back pedals realizing that he had made her angry.

"You know I think that's exactly what you meant" Sakura snaps "No that's not it Saku.." he's cut off as Sakura steps towards him "You have 2 seconds to get off my property before I knock you clear across the village Sasuke Uchiha" Sakura snarls finally letting her anger show and Sasuke flee's not wanting to face Sakura's fist Naruto had told him stories of how painful it is to be hit by her fist.

Coughing slightly feeling sick Sakura slides to the ground groaning feeling a migraine come on "Hey Sakura are you alright" Ao asks in concern noticing that Sakura looked a little paler than usual "Just got a fever that's all" she mumbles practically falling asleep on the ground making his mind up Ao leans over and scoops Sakura up into his arms and heads in the direction of the hospital when he gets halfway to the hospital Ao realizes that Sakura was sleeping soundly.

'At least she didn't put up a fuss when I picked her up' Ao thinks to himself upon finally reaching the hospital doors right as he goes to open the door another males voice screams "SAKURA-CHAN" and Ao turns a steely glare upon the perpetrator who was staring at him sheepishly "I'm sorry I didn't realizes she was sleeping" the boy rubs his head before continuing on "Is she alright" he asks coming closer despite Ao glaring at him.

"She's fine just a fever" Ao mutters opening the door when it appears the boy was going to be silent now and enters the hospital once he was given the herbs for the fever Ao takes the small package and with Sakura in arms heads back to her apartment with Sakura grumbling under her breath "I can walk you know" she grumbles but doesn't protest as much seeing as she was still rather tired "I know you can Sakura but what happens if you collapse again" Ao asks opening the door to her apartment.

"Ah didn't think about that" Sakura laughs sheepishly as he sits her down on her comfortable couch "I'll just fix you a cup of this and the nurse said you should be feeling better tomorrow but that you should continue taking this for the next couple of days afterwards" Ao mutters entering her kitchen and spotting the kettle and a tea cup.

Exiting the kitchen carrying a cup with the herbal mixture Ao spots Sakura laying down on the couch now "Sakura I've brought you the medicine" Ao sets the cup down gently before crouching down and tapping her forehead gently "Oh your finished" Sakura breathes out tiredly before sitting up and taking the offered cup drinking it down quickly with a grimace and laying back down well she would have but Ao had moved himself to sit down right where she would have layed her head.

"I hope you don't mind Sakura" he smiles at her softly and Sakura sighs before laying back down her head in his lap a deep blush on her cheeks at the intimate gesture relaxing back into the couch Ao runs his hands through Sakura's short hair causing her to blush even deeper 'No one has ever done this for us' she sighs closing her eyes and drifting off into a light sleep right as she was the edge of falling into a deeper sleep a knock wakes her instantly and she grumbles.

'Damn people knocking on my door I'm gonna bash their freaking heads in' Sakura scowls as Ao stands also irritated from being interrupted recognizing the boy from earlier "Sasuke wasn't it I believe Sakura told you to stay off her property" Ao says subtly smirking at the boy "You have no right to tell me what I can and can't do" Sasuke answers smugly causing Ao to rolls his eyes.

"Actually Sasuke, Ao has every right" Sakura's voice calls from with in "Why don't you tell me that to my face" Sasuke responds moving to go inside but Ao stops him "Move out of my way" Sasuke answers snidely causing Ao to grow tired of the boys attitude "If you do not leave this instant I will go to the Hokage boy" he snaps and Sasuke backs away slightly "And for another thing you don't barge into a womans apartment without their permission while said woman is sick you stupid boy" Ao continues on loosing his cool.

"Ao it's ok" Sakura finally appears still looking tired but now angry "Listen up Sasuke leave me alone I don't want to see you around my apartment again EVER" she bites out harshly before heading back into but not before taking Ao's hand and forcibly dragging him back in slamming the door shut in his face for the 2nd time that day.

"Thank you Ao for sticking up for me" Sakura sits down stiffly the moment broken and the atmosphere awkward "Sakura look at me" Ao commands and she looks at him her emerald green eyes shining with unshed tears "I can't stand people like him Sakura and when he said that he had claimed you like you were a possesion early I very nearly knocked him unconscious" Ao pauses gathering his thoughts.

"But I genuinely like you Sakura and I don't want anyone treating you like that especially myself your, your own person and don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't do" he finishes before wiping away the tears that had slid down Sakura's cheek and before she can protest kisses her forehead intimately "Oh" Sakura squeaks in embarrasment a blush skitters onto her cheeks.

"Ao that had to be the sweetest thing anyone has anyone ever said to me" she breathes and with a determined look stands taking Ao's hand once more and leading him to her bed room "We will be more comfortable in here is that alright Ao" Sakura asks shyly and he nods allowing her to settle comfortably on the bed first befor he himself gets on the bed leaving her enough space to move around.

"Sakura tell me more about yourself" Ao starts off the conversation and she tells him all the things she has done what she's like really all of her accomplishments and what training with Lady Tsunade had been like and in return Ao does the same after several hours and catching Sakura yawning once again Ao whispers "Get some sleep Sakura I'll see you tomorrow" and with a kiss to the forehead Ao was gone and Sakura was sleeping peacefully undisturbed.


	4. Chapter 4

-The Next Week-

All week Ao had done everything he could think of to completely gain Sakura's interest even if that meant dealing with her idiotic teammate Naruto Uzumaki and the other four who were on her team as shortly into their courtship Team Kakashi was sent on a mission and as Sakura's fiance 'they had officially gotten engaged he had gotten her a ring a few days before' he was going along with them to make sure she remained unharmed especially since the Uchiha would be going with them as well and Ao had to make sure he remembered his place.

Just thinking about how he had presented the ring to her Ao drifts off into his thoughts allowing him a few moments of quiet he had gone shopping before he left his village and found the perfect ring that had been approved by the Hokage a day before he presented it to her it was a golden band with an uncut diamond in the center and two rubies on either side of it he had gotten down on his knee as tradition dictates holding the ring out to her and delivered a speech of the most impressive quality for him anyway.

"Sakura I know that this is an arranged marriage but I want you to know that I genuinely like you and if I could this is the last thing I would wish for you I am willing to do everything in my power to make you comfortable in the Hidden Mist Village and you will never want for anything for I always be there for you so Sakura will you accept this ring and become my bride and in return you'll have my heart forever and always" she had cried rivers of tears before breathing out a yes and he had carefully slid the ring onto her finger where she then hugged him as had become normal between them.

A soft giggle pulls him out of his thoughts letting him know that he hadn't been as casual as he had thought he'd been with slipping away into his thoughts and he smirks leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead "Sakura has everyone arrived" he asks softly gazing around the area noticing that her team was full of nothing but boys and he scowls spotting the Uchiha glaring at him from next to another black-haired boy and a name appears in his mind 'Sai ah that's right from Root Anbu.'

"Yes everyone is here Ao" Sakura answers leaning into his side noticing Sasuke's glare and she glares right back at him 'How dare he glare at Ao' Inner Sakura snaps practically frothing at the mouth to be let out so that she could beat the stupid boy all the way to Suna and back which was unfortunately where they were going 'Hot weather and I don't mix' Sakura thought sourly before steeling herself when Kakashi addresses them "Alright everyone as you know Lord Gaara has been having trouble with bandits and we are going to help them" Short and simply to the point they all head out of the village making the 3 day trip to Suna in blistering heat knowing that even if she didn't complain Naruto would and she would be irritable until they made it to the village of sand.

Two days into travel and as she had predicted Naruto had begun complaining about the heat and knowing that she wasn't the only one getting fed up with his complaints she simply stalks over to him and growls out "Naruto if you do not stop complaining I swear when we get back I'll make sure you never get to eat your precious ramen again" she threatened under her breath drawing his now horror-struck attention onto her and seeing that she meant business gulps frightfully before nodding and finally after two days shuts his mouth.

Satisfied Sakura walks back over to Ao with a smirk on her lips "What did you say to the boy to make him look like that" he asks eyebrow lifted in question "I told him that if he didn't shut up that he would never get to eat ramen again" Sakura laughs quietly glancing over to see Naruto throwing fearful looks at her every so often all the while keeping his mouth shut "Ah that would do it" Ao nods glad that the boy had fallen silent and glad that Sakura could effectively quiet him with just a few simple words.

-The Next Day-

The group of seven finally reach the gates to the Sand Village only to be stopped by the guard stepping forward Kakashi hands a scroll to leader of the guard who swiftly reads it before all of them are allowed passage some throwing curious looks at Ao who was most notably not a Leaf Nin and everyone wondered why he walked with them since he to was from a different village and all of them noticing that he watched over Sakura with a silent protectiveness that confused them while she walked next to him with a soft grace most kunoichi wished to possess.

"Hey Ao have you ever been to the Village Hidden in the Sand before" Sakura asks him curiously "I have not" he answers simply and she grins up at him "Well I'm sure once we take care of the bandits Gaara will offer to let us rest here in the village for an extra day and knowing Naruto, Kakashi won't be able to refuse said offer, do you want to go to a join onsen together" Sakura mutters shyly once she had gotten to the part about the hotspring knowing that it would hurt her feelings and make her feel insecure and he nods his head in acquiesce "I would love to" he answers before falling silent.

Entering the building the seven of them are directed to the Kazekage's office where Gaara and his older siblings were waiting for them "I thank you for coming on such short notice" Gaara welcomes them in his deep baritone voice before getting straight to the point of their presence in his village "As I said in the letter we've had a recent increase of bandit attacks on the border of the village and the last time they attacked a few of the civilians were injured in this attack but we are having a hard time located their hideout" Gaara finishes staring at them before bowing his head "I hate to ask this of you but will you assist me in getting rid of these bandits that threaten my village" Gaara asks with his head still bowed in askance "Hold on there Gaara we'd gladly help you out" Naruto announces excitedly before practically hopping out of the office everyone rolling their eyes in annoyance.

"Lord Gaara we of the Leaf Village will gladly assist you in getting rid of these bandits" Kakashi steps forward when it appears that Naruto would not be coming back in the room "Thank you my sister will escort you to a hotel near here so that you may strategize and create a plan" Gaara appoints Temari as their guide through the village before dismissing them all from his office exiting the office Kakashi sighs "Sai go find Naruto" he orders as they walk through the building knowing it wouldn't be to long.

Leaving the Kazekage's building Sai returns with Naruto in tow as Temari leads the group to a village just 20 ft away your rooms are set up two or three to a room and the hotel has orders to make your stay pleasant so please don't be afraid to ask for something and Sakura we should get together and chat soon" Temari had noticed the ring on her finger and was curious if it was from Sasuke or one of the other idiots on the girls team but of course what she didn't consider was that it was from the tall man standing next to her friend.

"Of course Temari" Sakura grins excitedly she couldn't wait to tell her about her engagement to Ao nodding at the group Temari waves before heading around the village patrolling looking for anyone that was or might be suspicious she wouldn't tell anyone but she was very worried about this group of bandits and wished the problem was already taken care of concluding her patrol she heads back to her apartment glad that she lived separately from her two brothers one who nevered picked up anything of his and the other who worked to much and hardly ever slept at home anyway.

Meanwhile Kakashi was arranging who would be staying in a room together "Alright Yamato and I will be in one room Naruto, Sasuke, and Sai in another and that leaves the last room to Sakura and Ao" he finishes but before he could head into his room for the first time ever Sasuke complains "Wait why does he get to stay with Sakura" he scowls at Ao eyes fierce and glaring on the verge of activating sharigan "Because he is Sakura's fiance you know that Sasuke" Kakashi sighs out "I don't care we never get to share a room with Sakura you always did and yet the first time another guy joins our team regardless of him being anyones fiance you automatically let him stay with her" he finishes frowning.

Rolling his eyes at Sasuke he notices Sakura put a hand on Ao's arm to stop the man from beating his teammate into a bloody mess which would make the already strained atmosphere even more strained and tense "Fine I'll room with Ao and Yamato will room with Sakura" he reorders before finally heading into his room with Ao following along behind him "I'm sorry Sasuke usually isn't like that" he rubs a hand down his face apologizing to Ao for Sasuke's immaturity "It's alright if anything it just proves how much of a child he still is" Ao points out causing Kakashi to look at him curiously "Sounds like you don't like him very much" Kakashi also points out "The first time I met him he claimed Sakura like a possession instead of a person it didn't sit well with me or her either" he smirked letting Kakashi imagine how that particular meeting went.

"Come along Sakura" Yamato gestures ahead of him inwardly pitying the girl as she watches Ao follow Kakashi before turning and setting a glare that could kill the devil on Sasuke nodding in satisfaction as he flinches and takes a step away from her before moving to stand before Yamato "Is it your brand of revenge that keeps them from stepping out of line after you've threatened them" Yamato coughs out a laugh when she nods smirking "Oh yes they know when their in trouble and right now two of them are most definitely in trouble" she confirms scowling with a backwards glance to the two of her original idiot teammates.

'I pity Sai if he decides to open his mouth in front of her I just know that the next time it won't be just a threat coming it will actually lead to Sakura beating one or maybe all three of them into the ground with her chakra enhanced punch' Yamato sighs opening the door to their room and allowing Sakura to enter first "Thank you Yamato" she brightens upon seeing a curtain splitting the room in half to allow privacy I'll take the bed to the left she announces moving to the opposite side of the room before Yamato could speak.

Chuckling "I'll take this bed then" he smiles setting his pack down on the floor before taking his armor off and stowing it underneath the bed knowing Kakashi would allow them to rest for the night before calling a strategy meeting in the morning "Hey Yamato do you mind if I head out and meet up with Temari for awhile" Sakura calls out from the otherside of the curtain "As long as your back before midnight" he answers in affirmation noting the time at 1pm "Don't worry I will be" a pink blur calls out as Sakura speeds out the door leaving Yamato to chuckle at her hyperness.

Speeding out of the hotel Sakura hurries through the village hoping that Temari was at home and not out on patrol knocking on the older girls door she hops from foot to foot eagerly "Yeah, yeah I'm coming you lazy..." Temari trails off upon opening her door and seeing Sakura "Well Sakura come on in" the blonde woman smirks again noticing the ring walking through the house Sakura is near bursting with excitement and without letting Temari say anything else "I'm getting married" she flashes her the diamond and ruby ring "Oh who is it tell me its not Naruto" Temari pleads.

"Nope" Sakura shakes her head laughing "Sasuke" Temari asks eyebrows raising when again Sakura shakes her head no "It's Ao that tall fellow from the Mist Village" she finally announces when Temari could think of no other "Why from another village Sakura" Temari asks in confusion "Well it's an arranged marriage" Sakura admits letting her sadness come out in front of her friend "But at least I know that it won't be a loveless one" she brightens happy "So you like this Ao guy" Temari teases causing Sakura to blush but nod in affirmation.

"I really do like him Temari and I know he likes me to" her eyes soften from their emerald color to a deep forest green as they filled with emotion "He's very sweet to me and I know he'll take care of me" her mind flashes back to when he gave her the ring and all of the words he said and the promises he made to her smiling glad that her friend was over Sasuke as Temari never thought he was the right one for Sakura "Well I'm glad your happy now how about some tea so that we can catch up some more" Temari says before offering some tea.

"I'd love some Temari" Sakura sits down in one of the armchairs dotted around her friends living room while Temari wanders into the kitchen to set up a kettle of water to boil on the stove "Chamomile with honey right" she calls "Yes, please thank you" Sakura answers just a moment later and Temari nods glad that she had remembered Sakura's favorite tea and that she actually had some for once several minutes later she sets everything up on a tray and carries it into the living room a few moments later both girls are chatting and drinking tea.

-Back at the Hotel-

Sasuke was unhappy Sakura was getting married to someone other than him and everyone else in the village was fine with it 'Damn it she was supposed to be mine' he growls irritably 'I'll just have to show her how better I am than he is' he plots rising from the bed he had chosen he decides to go see her a moment later he exits the room neither Sai or Naruto noticing that he had left and walks across the hall too Yamato and Sakura's room before swiftly knocking on the door a moment later Yamato opens the door eyebrow raised.

"Yes Sasuke" Yamato asks pleasantly "I'd like to talk to Sakura" he snaps not trusting the still mostly unknown man "I'm sorry Sakura isn't here she left about an hour ago" Yamato replies smoothly before subtly shutting the door on Sasuke to get back to his interrupted nap he was exhausted from dealing with everyone especially Kakashi who constantly picked on him but before he could "What do you mean she left" Sasuke shrieks from the other side of the door loudly and Yamato mutters "Delayed reaction much" he sighs irritably before padding back over to the door and yanking it open his scary eyes on as Naruto liked to call them.

Predictably Sasuke takes a step away from him nearly pressing himself into the wall on the opposite side of the hall and he chuckles deeply drawing Kakashi and the others out of their rooms taking one look at him Naruto eeps in fright before diving back into his room and shutting the door with a bang "That's exactly what I meant now if you don't mind" and shuts the door for the second time that day on an angry Sasuke "Is there a problem Sasuke" Kakashi asks and Sasuke shakes his head "None" and as smoothly as he could jerks open his room door and practically sprints inside.

"If you don't mind where do you think she could have wondered off to" Ao asks in some concern "She probably went to visit Temari the elder sibling of the Kazekage" Kakashi answers locating her chakra with ease and as he had predicted with Temari before heading back into his room as Ao wonders off to do whatever he usually did when there was a break "I'm calling a meeting in the morning so make sure your back before tomorrow" he calls out to Ao seeing blue haired man nod he turns and as he was sure Yamato was doing lays down and dozes off dreaming of Make-out Tactics.


	5. Chapter 5

After she had gotten back to the hotel with Ao who had gone to find her Sakura fell asleep quickly she woke feeling refreshed and as if she could take on anyone and still come out on top before she could delve further into her suddenly happy thoughts a knock on the door disrupts her and she rises gracefully from her bed and pads across the floor opening the door "Meeting in 10 Kakashi's room" Sai announces simply and she sighs "Yamato-san wake up" she calls and he instantly jerks awake sitting up in his bed he sighs.

Getting dressed within a few minutes Sakura and Yamato leave their room and enter Kakashi's for the meeting "Alright here's the plan" Kakashi explains even going as far as to incorporate Ao into the plan knowing that with his use of the byakugan this would go even faster "Now everyone has their orders so move out" Kakashi commands as they all split to do some scouting around the village in hopes that they would find these bandits soon before someone else got injured.

Heading to the outskirts of the village Ao activates his byakugan and gazes around looking for enemy chakra and with in a few moments he spots a large group of chakra several kilometers away hiding in an outcroping of rocks memorizing the exact location he stood in and which direction they were he heads towards the nearest chakra of his teammate instantly recognizing it as Sasuke "I found them" he says simply quickly angering the Uchiha who explodes in a tantrum.

"You think you can come here and steal Sakura if that's what you think your wrong because she was mine first she relentless professed her love to me and I know she still loves me she is doing it to make me jealous" Sasuke boasts smugly unaware that said woman was standing behind him looking furious "Is that so Sasuke" she seethes hissing the words out like venom "In case you hadn't gotten it through your thick head Sasuke I'm am over you" she snaps before walking over to stand next Ao.

Sputtering in surprise he goes to open his mouth again only to be stopped by Naruto clamping a hand over his mouth and he turns his head to glare at the blonde before noticing his fearful expression "Don't if you know what's good for you Sasuke" he whispers pleadingly not wanting to see Sasuke pummeled into a bloody pulp rolling his eyes he nods and Naruto finally removes his hand but otherwise remains silent as the rest of the team arrives at their spot "I found the bandits" Ao repeats internally smirking at the moronic who was still clearly in denial.

Nodding Kakashi gestures for Ao to lead the way and after several minutes of running they reach the group of rocks on Kakashi's signal they jump the bandits and a long fight ensues with a few of the members getting scratches and Yamato getting a gash on his arm almost as long as his arm punching the last one in the face making sure he was dead Sakura runs over to Yamato quickly summoning her healing chakra and within moments the wound was healed as they all head back to village to make their report that the bandits had been taken care of.

Entering the Kazekage's building they make their way back to Gaara's office "Lord Kazekage we've taken care of the bandits as requested and they should no longer plague your village nor do you have to worry about anymore civilians getting injured" Kakashi presents the report scroll that he had filled out on the way there to Gaara who takes it and reads through it quickly nodding a small smile lifts his lips making him look much younger than he actually was before thanking them again.

"I offer to allow you and your team to rest in the village one more day please make use of the village hotsprings and the hospitality of the hotel one more night" Gaara offers and Naruto turns on Kakashi "Yeah Kakashi, we can't refuse Gaara as it would be rude to turn down an offer like that" Naruto begs with his eyes and Kakashi rolls his eyes before nodding "We'd love to rest one more night here in the village Lord Kazekage" he bows before turning and heading out of the office.

"Yahooooo" Naruto shouts "See ya Gaara" he waves running excitedly from the room once again causing Gaara to chuckle at his friend knowing a dismissal everyone else filters out of the room the last two to leave were Sakura and Ao who exit the building at the same time "So Ao how about going to that hotspring now" she whispers softly as Sasuke was still within hearing distance of them nodding his head in acquiesce they turn and walk down a different path that lead directly to the onsen.

Suppressing their chakra Sakura and Ao sign their names on the clipboard before heading in opposite direction to strip and wrap a towel around themselves before meeting up in the middle where it said joint onsen steeling herself Sakura boldly grabs hold of Ao's hand and gently pulls him through the curtain with her sighing out when she realizes that it was only just the two of them for the moment easing herself into the water she sighs blissful at the heat and leans back into wet flesh eyes flying open she turns around to stare at Ao who was smirking.

Slapping his chest gently of course Sakura tries to scowl but ends up laughing as he pulls her to lean back against him bending his head Ao whispers in her ear "This is nice I'm glad you suggested it Sakura-chan" he adds the suffix teasingly noticing her blush in response and he pulls away chuckling "I'm gald I suggested it to" she sighs completely relaxing against Ao now feeling content in his arms both falling silent not feeling the need to fill it with mindless chatter and both content to just relax with each other.

Meanwhile at the hotel Sasuke was throwing another tantrum he hadn't noticed Sakura and Ao slip off and were now most likely together somewhere but the point of his frustration was that he couldn't locate either of their chakra's and it was severely pissing him off sharigan eyes blazing in fury he prepares to head off not noticing Kakashi until it was to late and with a sharp jab to his neck he was knocked out and carried back his room and dropped on his bed roughly as Kakashi couldn't be bothered to be gentle with the boy.

-A couple hours later-

Having sufficiently relaxed Ao decides that it was time to head back to the hotel as the day was swiftly drawing to a close the sun was low in the sky and he nudges Sakura with a hand only when soft snores emit from the woman held in his arms does Ao realize that she had fallen asleep and if it hadn't been for him holding her up she would have fallen into the heated water and drowned and with a harder nudge to her arm and the repeated calling of her name Sakura shoots awake alert instantly and blabbling.

"Oh my god what is it has something happened don't tell me those idiots found us" she jumbles several sentences together before looking around her surroundings "Oh I fell asleep I'm sorry Ao" she murmurs leaning her head against his chest in apology "It's alright Sakura but we should head back to the hotel soon before it gets to late" he smoothly erases her worries and with gentle urging rises out of the onsen with her in his arms and sets her on her feet to head to the dressing room to redress as he goes in the opposite direction.

Emerging from both sides Sakura and Ao quickly make their way back to the hotel upon entering they split up heading to their separate rooms bidding each other goodnight before entering their rooms Sakura with a soft sigh and Ao with his usual silence each noticing that their current roommates where out of the count they quickly climb into bed and drift off hoping that their three day travel back to the Hidden Leaf Village would be quick and most of all silent from all those who would complain.

As she had prayed it would be it was quick and silent and they made it back to the village in record time Kakashi splitting of from the group to hand in the mission report while everyone split up except for Ao and Sakura who head back towards her apartment Ao had left the hotel and was staying in her guest room for the rest of his stay in the Leaf Village and now that they were back he was hoping to broach the topic going back to the Mist Village with in the next month so that they could fuse their villages together.

It was as they were settling down for dinner that Sakura had cooked this time they took turns cooking when they had the time that Ao found his chance "So I've been thinking since we've gotten along well and as we are officially engaged it will be soon time to return to my village and of course as my fiance your expected to go with me" he announces when she was mid-bite swallowing Sakura sets down her fork and contemplates his words before nodding "I agree maybe within the next few weeks as I have paperwork to complete not to mention packing my things into scrolls and the mess of telling everyone" she says and this time Ao nods agreeing with her "Your right Sakura many people would be angered if we didn't tell them we had left" he finishes before resuming eating like she had done.

The next few weeks are a flurry of activity for Ao and Sakura as they prepare for their impending departure to the Hidden Mist Village with Sakura packing up her house into scrolls and finishing up paperwork at the hospital and of course telling all of her friends goodbye but that it wouldn't be the last time any of them saw her and of course securing promises from them to visit her whenever they could in Sakura's opinion the hardest one to say goodbye to was her team excluding Sasuke because they had essentially become family to her.

"So your leaving us then Ugly" Sai had said he hadn't called her that ridiculous nickname in forever but Sakura supposed that it was his way of coping with semi-losing someone he viewed as a friend "Is that true Sakura-chan" Naruto had turned watery blue eyes on her causing her own emerald green eyes to fill up with tears as well "It's not forever Naruto and it's not like you won't still get to see me I'll make sure I come back to visit as much as I am able you idiot" she sniffed a few tears splashing onto her cheeks as she blinks her eyes.

Next she had turned to Yamato who like always gave her a smile and a farewell "I'm trusting you to keep these idiots in check for me Yamato-sensei" she gave him a watery smile as he gave her a nod "Don't worry Sakura-san I promise" he teased his lips lifting up into another brief smile wiping her eyes she moves her head to look at the silent black-haired man "Sasuke you need to give up on me find someone who will love you even if you don't deserve it" she glared hard at him until he sighed and nodded but he didn't say a single word to her.

Finally after greeting everyone else in their enlarged team she turned to the silver-haired jonin that had been their sensei since the beginning of their genin days the man that had essentially become a father to her when her own wasn't their to support her "Kakashi-sensei" Sakura smiled at him and he smiled back the only way she could tell was that his eyes had closed and his mask bunched up in some places "Sakura" he repeated her name "I haven't been your sensei in a long time" he finishes pulling out that stupid orange book she hated with a passion.

"Kakashi regardless of that just remember to take care of yourself and not be stubborn if you get hurt because if I find out that you got injured and didn't go to the hospital to be healed I'll come back and make you stay in the hospital tied down to a bed so that you can't read your trashy novel" she grins, teases and threatens all in one breath causing his eyes to widen and his head to nod almost eagerly cause he knew that she would do it to "I promise Sakura" he placates ruffling her pink hair before she could stop him.

All said in done she swallows thickly sadness welling up within her before she throws herself at him winding her arms around his waist for a quick hug before righting herself just as quickly before leaving though "And Sai don't stop trying to learn about emotions I'm sure some day you'll get them back just don't be afraid to ask for help" she throws over her shoulder before doing a couple of hands signs and disappearing in a swirl of cherry blossoms to get home quickly before collapsing on her bed utterly exhausted.

The rest of the week passed by in a blur and before she knew it Sakura was saying farewell to Tsunade and Shizune who had become as close to her like her team was of course their farewell was just as sad and tear-jerking but Sakura turned followed Ao out of the village gates and after a week of travel through misty swamps and a trecherous mountain terrain they finally arrived to the Village Hidden in the Mist and the first glimpse of it left Sakura leaving breathless as she stared at her new home.


End file.
